The essential elements for successful cleaner production programmes

During the First European Roundtable on Cleaner Production Programmes (1994), the participants were asked to give their professional judgement about the essential success factors in Cleaner Production (CP) programmes via a very concise open questionnaire. The respondents referred to four types of programmes: demonstration and dissemination programmes, in-company programmes, eco-park programmes and programmes initiated by advanced legislation. Five categories of essential success factors are identified: (1) cooperation, training and communication, (2) assessing tangible benefits, (3) leadership and management commitment, (4) commitment and motivation of employees, and (5) factors ensuring good programme management. Some success factors are more or less specific to a certain type of CP programme. The nature of the success of CP programmes and the lessons learned for CP programmes are being discussed. It is also shown that most essential success factors fit very well into a model for collective learning processes and in the self-assessment model from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).